


Our Life Together

by theoddkid



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Non-Idols, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-04-07 10:17:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19082998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoddkid/pseuds/theoddkid
Summary: After having gotten into a fight with his brother about not having many friends, Iori goes to the library at his high school to get his mind off of things. There, he sees a red-haired boy who will end up changing his life forever. Small insights into Iori and Riku's life together throughout the years, from when they first meet, to when they get together and whatever they experience after that.





	1. High School

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this story is something that I came up with together with a good friend of mine! I was originally inspired by a tweet made by @xNanaLan on twitter! After that tweet was made, the two of us kind of went crazy developing idea after idea in this universe, and then I asked if it was okay if I tried making it into a fanfic! Because of this, I'd like to gove her some credit, as I would not have come up with all of this on my own! Thank you!  
> This story will be devided into three parts, and this first one will tell the story of their relationship while they're in high school! I can't say yet when the next chapter will be out, as I haven't started writing it yet, but I'll try to have it out before too long! ^^ If you have any questions or want to talk, you can reach me either on my Tumblr: efagerhag.tumblr.com or on my Twitter: @EFagerhag

Izumi Iori, a sixteen year old boy currently in his second year of high school, was walking through the hallways of his school with a frown on his face. People tended to avoid him under normal circumstances, so his slightly angry and irritable expression really wasn’t making him more approachable. He couldn’t help it though, he had been in a bad mood ever since this morning, in fact, he got even more irritated thinking back on it now, as he made his way through the school.

_“Iori! Come on! You know I’m just trying to help you!” Mitsuki, Iori’s older brother called out as Iori was just about to head out the door. “But it’s none of your business how I treat others!” Iori retorted. Mitsuki sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I know, but would it hurt to be a little bit nicer to people? That way you might actually make some friends.” The older Izumi pointed out, making Iori roll his eyes._

_“I do have friends.” He replied. “You have ONE friend! And don’t get me wrong, Tamaki is a great guy and I really like him, but he is literally the only one outside of our family who seems to be willing to put up with you! I know you’ve never really felt the need to surround yourself with others, but you’re going to regret it in the future if you don’t at least try to get some friends.” He argued._

_Iori sighed as he bent down to put on his shoes. “It’s really not that big of a deal, have I ever complained about being lonely? No, because I don’t need others to be there at my every beck and call. Besides, everyone around me are just wasting their time playing around, and I’d rather not be roped into that.” Iori said as he finished getting ready._

_“And yet, your only friend is basically the definition of someone who just plays around.” Mitsuki pointed out. “Yotsuba-san is different, he never puts any pressure on me to join his childish games, and besides, when it comes down to it, he does what he needs to do.” Iori said. “Yeah, because you practically force him! It’s a wonder he still likes to be around you!” Mitsuki exclaimed._

_Iori stood up and grabbed his bag, then he gave his brother one last look before he grabbed the door handle. “Are you finished criticizing the way I live my life now? Because I need to get to school. See you tonight.” He said as he opened the door and left his older brother behind._

Deep down, Iori knew that Mitsuki had only been worrying about him, but was it really necessary to go that far? He himself didn’t mind his lack of friends, so why should it bother others? He was perfectly aware that he wasn’t very good at interacting with other people, he tended to come off as cold and calculating. People would sometimes approach him because he was fairly smart, wanting to take advantage of that. Iori had, throughout the years, gotten pretty good at telling those people apart from people who simply approached him because they wanted his company. And so far, the only one his age who had done that was Yotsuba Tamaki. 

Iori sighed, why was he letting his older brother’s words get to him like that? He had already established that he didn’t need, nor particularly wanted friends. But it was precisely because Mitsuki’s words had bothered him so much that he now started second guessing himself. He needed a distraction, and he needed it badly. Normally, he’d go to Tamaki for that, the other could offer some pretty good distractions, whether they were wanted or not. However, his taller, blue-haired friend was absent today, he had apparently caught a cold. 

Because of this, Iori was now stood outside of the school’s library, hoping to find something to read in order to take his minds off of the things that bothered him. The library at Iori’s high school was normally empty, it was pretty old and a lot bigger than what was actually necessary for a normal high school. Iori liked it though, he thought the atmosphere was nice, and it was also a place where he could go to be alone, since no one except for him seemed to appreciate it. 

Iori slid the door open and was just about to take a step inside the room when he stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. A light humming sound could be heard from inside the library. Iori frowned, he had never met anyone other than the librarian in there before, and even she was barely ever there. Also, the voice he heard was undoubtedly not that of the school’s librarian. 

Iori still stepped inside, then he closed the door softly, trying his best not to make a noise. He made his way through the rows of bookshelves to where he thought the sound came from. Once he found it, he peeked out from behind one of the bookshelves so that he could try and see who else had decided to pay the library a visit for once. 

Now, Iori didn’t think of himself as a sappy person, but the moment his eyes locked onto the person in the room with him, it was as if is entire world slowed down and erupted into color. He had never experienced anything like it before, and he honestly thought he never would, but here he was, in awe at the sight before him. 

Sat at one of the tables near the windows was a boy Iori had never seen before, and judging from the color of his necktie, he was a third year. The boy had bright red hair that framed his face beautifully, slightly tanned skin and a slim figure. His eyes were big and crimson with long eyelashes and he had a very content smile on his face, as if he had everything he could ever want in his life. The sunlight illuminating the room from the window seemed to give the young boy an almost angelic glow, but that could have just been Iori’s imagination. 

On the table in front of said boy there lay a thick book, Iori had no idea what it was, but it seemed like kind of heavy reading. He also had headphones in, meaning he was probably humming along to whatever song he was currently listening to. 

Iori gulped and forced himself to look away. He crouched down on the floor behind the bookshelf, successfully hiding from the other boy. Iori felt his heart beating fast and loud in his chest, the same way it did after he had been running or performing some other form of exercise. Only, Iori hadn’t done any exercise that day, so his current state was extremely confusing to him. 

Iori then considered his options, he could try and leave the library as quietly as possible so that the other boy wouldn’t notice his presence, thus making it so that they would probably never meet again and Iori could just forget all about what had just happened. Or he could do what he first came here to do, which would be grab a book, and sit and read, maybe the other boy would notice him, or maybe he wouldn’t, they’d exchange greetings at best and that would be that. Or, he could go up to the unknown boy and actually try and do what his brother had been telling him to do, make new friends. 

At first, Iori had thought the first two options sounded awfully tempting, but there was something inside him that didn’t agree. Some part that felt almost sad at the thought of not forming some sort of connection to the boy he had just seen. However, as it turns out, Iori didn’t get a chance to make the choice himself. 

“Are you looking for something?” Came a voice from behind him. Iori froze and slowly turned around, and sure enough, behind him stood the unknown boy, smiling brightly. Iori’s mouth hung open and he was at a loss for words, he had never felt this out of control when it came to his own body before, and it honestly scared him. “Uhm… Y-yeah, uh, I was just looking for something to read, I guess…” Iori managed to get out at last. 

The boy crouched down beside him and looked at the bookshelf in front of them, presumably to see what type of books Iori was looking for. “Something to read for fun? Or is it for school?” The boy asked. Iori gulped, he hadn’t actually been looking at the books, but he supposed his lie came out somewhat natural. “For fun.” He answered, which earned him a weird look in return. 

“You read books about gardening for fun? You don't seem like the type who'd be into that stuff.” The boy stated with a smile. Iori panicked and looked at the books in front of him, and sure enough, they were all about gardening. “What? No! I-I just-” Iori started but was interrupted when the other boy started laughing, and Iori would be damned if that wasn’t the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. 

The red-haired boy wiped some tears that had formed from the laughter away from his eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to judge you! It just seemed like a unique hobby.” He said, still smiling brightly. Iori blushed, though he wasn’t sure what caused it, the embarrassment from the situation or the pretty smile he had just witnessed. 

“I-I’m not really into gardening, I guess I’m just not sure what I wanted to read…” Iori answered. The other boy’s eyes lit up at that. “Well, if you wouldn’t mind, I could-” He started excitedly, but was interrupted by Iori’s phone going off. Iori apologized and pulled it out, only to see a text from Tamaki saying how he was cold and wanted pudding. Iori saw it as a perfect opportunity to escape the awkward situation. “I’m sorry, but it seems I have to go.” Iori said and stood up. 

He started walking away but before he exited the room he turned around. Bad decision. He could still see the other boy looking at him, his expression seemed to be slightly disappointed. Iori smiled awkwardly at him and waved goodbye before he promptly left the room. He didn’t get far however, as he leaned against the wall in the corridor and buried his face in his hands so that no passersby would be able to spot the blush that covered his face. 

Iori had no idea what had just happened, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Part of him was glad it was over, that he had managed to get away before he made a complete fool of himself. But there was also a part of him that was sad to leave, a part that wanted to know more about the mysterious boy he had just met. 

In the end, Iori decided to let it go. He texted Tamaki that he would come by to give him some notes from today’s classes, and that he might pick up some pudding on the way. 

A week had passed since the encounter Iori had in the school’s library and he had since been avoiding going there in fear of meeting the other boy again. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him once he got home that day, and to Iori that was absolutely terrifying. However, even though it had now been a week, thoughts of bright red hair, a bright smile and soft humming still lingered. 

Thus, Iori once again found himself standing outside the library. He had finally had enough and thought that if he could see the boy again, maybe he could get him out of his mind. He pushed the door to the library open, and this time he didn’t bother hiding his arrival. 

At first, Iori thought that maybe the other wasn’t there, the room was awfully silent after all. But as he walked through the room, he found who he had been looking for sitting in the same chair he had been in the last time, reading a different book. The boy looked up at Iori, he must have heard his footsteps, and immediately smiled brightly at him. “Oh, it’s you! The gardener!” He exclaimed cheerfully. 

Iori frowned but walked up to the table and sat down opposite of the boy. “I thought I told you that I’m not into gardening, so would you please not call me that?” He said, sounding a bit irritated. This didn’t seem to bother the other however, as he just kept smiling. “Sorry, but I don’t know your name, so...” He said sheepishly. 

Iori sighed and looked away to the side. “Iori.” He then said quietly. “Hm?” The boy questioned. Iori turned to face him this time. “My name is Iori, Izumi Iori. I’m a second year.” He said. The red-haired boy’s face lit up and he nodded. “It’s nice to meet you then, Iori! I’m Nanase Riku, a third year!” The boy, Riku, introduced himself happily. 

Iori wasn’t sure what else to say, he hadn’t really planned this far ahead. “I’ve never seen anyone other than the librarian here before, so I was a bit shocked when I saw you last time. Do you come here often?” Iori asked, not being able to think of something better to say. 

Riku chuckled. “Is that why you seemed so flustered? Because you didn’t expect to see anyone else here?” Riku asked smugly. Iori flushed and looked away. “I wasn’t really flustered…” He said. “Fine.” Riku answered with a knowing smiled. “But to answer your question, yes, I tend to come here quite often. I was actually pretty shocked to see you, since I’ve also never seen anyone other than the librarian here before. We must have missed each other in the past.” Riku said. 

Iori nodded before he pulled out some notebooks, making it look like he came to the library to study, and not to look for Riku. For a few minutes they just sat there in silence, but then Riku spoke. “You know, you’re a lot different than I thought you would be.” He stated. Iori looked up at Riku, confusion written all over his face. “What do you mean? Did you already know of me?” Iori questioned. 

Riku rubbed the back of his head and smiled shyly. “Well, you’ve got a bit of a reputation… I didn’t realize it was you until I learned your name though.” Riku explained. Iori looked even more confused at that. “I have a reputation? Why would I have a reputation?” He asked. 

“You don’t know?” Riku questioned. Iori simply shook his head. “Well, I’ve heard the girls in my class talk a lot about you. They say there’s this really handsome underclassman, but that he’s sadly very cold towards others, so he’s hard to approach. They said how they liked the cool and mysterious air around you… You’re quite popular, you know? I bet there are lots of girls who would love to go out with you, but they’re scared to get close to you.” He explained. 

Iori’s eyes widened. “You’re lying.” He said skeptically. “No, I’m not!” Riku replied. “I literally have like one person I talk to in the entire school. I am not popular.” Iori stated. Riku hummed and looked down in his books for a while before answering. “I think you’re the kind of person people are secretly interested in, but your presence might be a bit overwhelming, so they just end up watching you from afar. After all, you’re super pretty, but you can have a scary expression from time to time.” Riku said. 

Iori frowned. “You speak as if you’ve been watching me.” He said. Riku’s face flushed brightly at the implication, and Iori found that he really enjoyed seeing the other like that. “I-I haven’t! I was just kind of curious who they were talking about, but I only had a name and grade, that’s really all!” He exclaimed. 

Iori chuckled at the other’s state, making the older boy pout in a way that really shouldn’t look that enticing to Iori. In fact, before he could stop himself, Iori noticed how his mind screamed ‘ADORABLE’ at the sight. “It’s really alright, Nanase-senpai. You don’t have to freak out about it.” Iori said calmly. 

“A-Anyway, my point is that you’re very different than the rumors. They say you’re supposed to be cold and unapproachable, but you actually seem really kind and easy to talk to!” Riku then finished. Iori’s eyes widened a bit at that. “That is… Uhm, thank you. I’m often told I’m unapproachable, but I don’t particularly try to come off like that. I know I can be serious, and I’m a bit awkward when it comes to interacting with other people, but it was never my intention to scare others away. Though I know I can have that effect on people.” Iori explained. 

Riku smiled up at him. “Then, will you let me be your friend?” He asked. “Huh?” Iori questioned, quite shocked at Riku’s suggestion. “Well, you seem like a good guy, so can I be your friend? I don’t really have that many friends myself, so I’d love to be yours!” He said. 

Iori blushed but nodded. “I guess it’s fine?” He answered. “That’s great! I’m really happy!” Riku exclaimed, making Iori’s stomach feel funny. Was this really how making new friends was supposed to feel? He’d only really made one before, Tamaki, but he couldn’t remember it feeling like this. Iori didn’t think too much about it, instead he was just happy he’d made a second friend. He had thought he wouldn’t need one, but now that he had Riku, he couldn’t be happier. 

The weeks went by and Iori and Riku had somehow made it a habit to meet up in the library almost every day after school. They had exchanged numbers and had since grown a lot closer. However, one day about two months after they first met, Riku didn’t show up. Iori didn’t think too much about it at first, but when the older boy was nowhere to be seen for the rest of the week, Iori started feeling a bit worried. 

For the first time in his entire life, Iori experienced what it felt like to be lonely. In the past, he had never really been bothered by being alone, in fact he had kind of preferred it. Then he befriended Tamaki, but even then, he hadn’t minded being on his own. But since he met Riku, he suddenly started craving his company. It wasn’t the kind of lonely that made him want to be around other people, it was the kind of lonely that made him want to be around one specific person. That person being Riku. 

Another week passed, and Iori was actually really worried at this point. Not only had the other not come to school for a long time, he hadn’t even picked up his phone. 

But then, Thursday of the second week of Riku’s absence was when Iori ran into him again. This time, however, it wasn’t in the library as usual, but in the infirmary. Iori had a bit of a headache, so he had gone to the nurse’s office in order to ask for some pain killers, but when he got there, he found that the room was empty, except for one of the beds which seemed to be occupied. Upon closer inspection, Iori could see a mop of red hair stick up from underneath the blankets, and he immediately recognized it as Riku’s. 

Iori had never been that happy and relieved to see anyone before in his entire life. He forgot all about his headache and headed straight for the bed that Riku was sleeping in, he then sat down on a chair by his bedside and decided to wait for the other to wake up. 

About twenty minutes later, Iori noticed Riku starting to shift around, and then he slowly opened his eyes. Iori didn’t say anything, worried that he would startle the other. Riku rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly, his eyes then widened when he saw just who had decided to join him. “Iori?” He asked in confusion. 

Iori took a deep breath and looked Riku in the eyes, his expression showing just how worried he had been these past two weeks. “Where have you been? Are you okay? Why didn’t you pick up my calls? Did I do anything wrong?” Iori asked, not really sure what he wanted to get out of this. Riku gave him an apologetic smile. 

“I’m really sorry, you didn’t do anything wrong, I promise!” Riku exclaimed. “I just haven’t been feeling so well, so I had to go to the hospital for a while… I didn’t want to worry you, which is why I didn’t tell you, but I guess that’s exactly what I ended up doing…” He said sadly. 

“You went to the hospital? What for?” Iori asked, curious about just what was going on with Riku. Riku looked down at his own hands as he fiddled with the bedsheets, trying to gather his thoughts so that he could explain his situation to Iori in a good way. “I’ve got asthma, always have. It’s pretty bad, so I can’t do any heavy exercise, I have trouble being around animals or dusty places, sometimes even the temperature or simple stress can give me attacks… I’ve always had to spend quite a lot of time in the hospital, ever since I was a child. That’s mostly why I don’t have that many friends, everyone always ended up getting super close while I was away…” Riku explained. 

Iori felt bad for Riku, listening to his explanation. He had no idea the other had been dealing with things like that. “I’m sorry… Is there any way I could help you?” He asked. Riku just looked at him with a bright smile. “But you already help a lot! I feel really happy when I’m around you, it always manages to calm me down! All I want is for you to stay my friend, to be yourself and to stay by my side.” Riku said, making Iori’s stomach do weird flips. 

Iori vowed then and there that he would do anything in his power to protect this boy. He would never let anyone or anything hurt him again. He would do his best to make sure that he never felt sad or lonely. He would never leave him alone. After all, how could he? He had already fallen head over heels in love with him. 

Iori looked around, there were way too many people around for his liking, and yet he had no plans to leave anytime soon. It was the end of the school year, and thus the graduation ceremony for the third years. The graduation ceremony for Riku. Iori had tried to ignore it for the longest time, but he knew that Riku would have to leave eventually. Luckily, he had told Iori that he was going to a local university, he was going to study medicine there. 

He had also promised that they would stay in touch, which Iori didn’t doubt, but it still unsettled him. He’d grown used to seeing Riku almost every day, but from now on he might not even be able to see him every week. 

A while back, Iori had made up his mind. He had long since figured out how he felt about the other, and now that he was leaving, Iori wanted something more. He wanted something that would bind them together more than them just being friends would. He was going to confess. 

Honestly, he was terrified, and every other minute he managed to convince himself to not go through with it. Then he thought of sending Riku off to university alone, he thought of all the new people he would surely meet, and the possibility of him finding someone new to care about. Iori wanted an excuse to monopolize the other, even if it was only for a little bit. He wanted to be able to call him his, to give his everything to him and to just be with him. 

And so, he was now walking around the schoolyard looking for Riku, which proved to be extremely hard amongst all these people. Iori sighed, but just as he did, he spotted a familiar head of red hair amongst the people over by the parking lot. He picked up his speed and made his way through the crowd as quickly as possible so that he wouldn’t lose sight of the other. 

“Nanase-senpai!” He called out and then he watched as Riku turned around and smiled brightly as he saw Iori headed his way. “Iori! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” He exclaimed relieved. “Me too.” Iori said, smiling at Riku. Riku looked up at him and smiled sheepishly. 

“Uh, do you think you could come with me for a minute? I’d like to go somewhere with less people around.” Iori suggested. Riku tilted his head to the side and looked up at Iori with big, questioning eyes that just made Iori’s heart melt. “Sure.” The redhead said happily. Iori nodded and reached for the other’s wrist, holding onto it tightly as he made his way through the crowd again, making sure that they wouldn’t get separated. 

They walked for about five minutes until they were at the back of the school by the sheds in which the sports clubs kept all of their equipment. With the graduation going on, everyone was gathered in the front, and so they could be alone here. “Did you want something, Iori?” Riku asked innocently. 

Iori gulped and took a deep breath of air to try and calm down his nerves. This was it, what Iori was about to do next could either advance their relationship, or it could make it extremely awkward, possibly ruining it forever. Wow, suddenly this didn’t seem like such a good idea. Still, he had come too far to back down now. “Nanase-senpai.” Iori started. 

“I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I just… I wanted you to know this before you left for university.” Iori said, looking seriously into Riku’s eyes. Riku nodded, still unsure what this was all about. Iori took another deep breath, but it did nothing to calm his nerves. “I really like you! I have for a while, and I know this may make things complicated between us, but will you be my boyfriend?” He asked as he closed his eyes, not wanting to see Riku’s reaction. 

Riku was silent for a bit too long, making Iori curious. And so, he opened his eyes and looked up, only to see Riku with a bright blush and tears running down his cheeks. “Nanase-senpai?” He quietly asked. Riku reached up to wipe his own tears away as he let out a chuckle. “Haha, what’s with the tears? I’m so pathetic…” He said in a low voice, as if he didn’t want Iori to hear him. 

Iori carefully took a step forward. “What are you saying? You’re not pathetic at all… In fact, you’re probably one of the strongest people I know, that’s one of the things I really like about you.” Iori said. Once again it was silent for a while, but then Riku spoke up. “What more is there?” He asked. “Huh?” Iori made a questioning noise. “What more do you like about me?” Riku asked. 

Iori gulped but took another step closer to the still crying redhead before he spoke calmly. “I really like that excited gleam you get in your eyes whenever you talk about something you really like. I like how you always try to see the good in people despite how they may have treated you. I like how you always put your everything into all you do, how you do everything you can to make sure that something is going to turn out good. I like how you never give up and keep fighting, even when it’s hard. I like your smile, and your eyes, and your voice. I just really like all of you.” He explained. 

Iori took a third and final step as he finished his confession. He was now standing right before Riku, but he made no move to touch the other, afraid that it would make him uncomfortable. Riku must have sensed his presence, because he removed his hands that had been furiously wiping at his eyes and looked up at Iori. His eyes were swollen from the crying and the rubbing he had done, but he wore the brightest smile Iori had ever seen as he gave his reply. 

“I really like you too, Iori! I would love to be your boyfriend!” 

Iori learned pretty quickly that high school without Riku was very different, or maybe he had just gotten too accustomed the other’s constant company. Still, it was bearable. They still met up almost every weekend to either go on dates or to just spend some time together. And just about a month into the first term, Riku had surprised Iori when he met up with him on his way to school. 

“Nanase-senpai? What are you doing here?” He asked. Riku pouted as he walked up to him. “Iori!” He whined, making Iori raise an eyebrow in question. “Will you stop calling me that already? I don’t go to this school anymore, and besides, we’re dating! You really don’t have to be so formal.” Riku said. 

Iori blushed and looked away. He wasn’t used to using informal language with people outside of his family, even if the person who asked for it was Riku. Still, he was willing to try for him. “Then…” He started. “Nanase-san?” 

Riku sighed but still gave Iori an amused smile. “That’s better, but you could just call me ’Riku’ you know? I really wouldn’t mind.” He said. Iori rubbed the back of his head and looked down on the ground. “I’m sorry, that might take some getting used to… Is it okay if I stick with Nanase-san for now?” He asked. 

Riku smiled softly at him and reached out to take ahold of his hand, making Iori’s face flush pink. “It’s fine! I don’t want you to push yourself, after all. But just so you know, the moment you feel ready to start using ‘Riku’ just do it! I’d be really happy if you did.” Riku said. Iori nodded and gripped Riku’s hand tighter in his as they kept walking. 

Soon, Iori realized that he still hadn’t gotten an explanation as to what Riku was doing there. “Nanase-san, why are you here? Not that I’m not enjoying your company, but your university is in the opposite direction.” Iori stated. 

Riku smiled sheepishly at him. “I don’t have any classes until the afternoon on Wednesdays, so I thought maybe I could start walking you to school on that day from now on! That way we can still make sure we see each other every week, even if we’re busy over the weekend!” He said with a bright smile and a slight blush. 

Iori almost fainted after hearing his boyfriend’s reasoning. What had he done to deserve the angel that was Nanase Riku? Seriously, the older boy was just too cute for his own good sometimes. Iori smiled in return and sported a blush much like Riku’s own. “I’d love that, as long as it’s not too much trouble. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard, after all.” Iori said. 

Riku grinned up at him. “I promise I won’t push myself! But will you wait for me in that crossing where we met today then? Every Wednesday?” Riku asked, looking up at Iori with big eyes. Iori nodded. “As long as you don’t tell me otherwise, I’ll wait for you.” He said with a gentle smile. “However.” He then said, making Riku tense up. “I won’t wait if it’ll make me late for school, so if you oversleep and I’m not waiting for you, that’s entirely your own fault!” Iori exclaimed. 

Riku pouted. “I barely ever oversleep! I’ve only been late thrice due to oversleeping in my entire life!” He told him. Iori smirked. “That’s three more times than ideal.” He said, intensifying Riku’s pout. He would never admit it out loud, but he loved teasing Riku, since the expressions he got tended to be extremely adorable. Although, Iori had a feeling Riku already knew this. 

“Hmph, meany!” Riku exclaimed. Iori just chuckled and squeezed Riku’s hand harder in his own. “Oh.” Riku then exclaimed as he came to a halt. Iori looked at him quizzically. “We’re already here, I thought the walk to school was longer… It’s crazy how much you forget after only having been away for a little over a month.” Riku said. 

Iori looked behind him, and they really had reached the school. He agreed with Riku that it really had felt as if the walk there had been shorter than usual. “Well,” Iori started as he turned to look at Riku. “Thank you for walking me to school, I’ll see you this weekend.” He said with a smile as he turned to walk away. 

Iori didn’t get very far however, as he heard Riku call out to him. “Wait!” He said. Iori turned around, but before he could even open his mouth to ask what the other wanted, Riku had thrown himself into Iori’s arms and pressed his lips against Iori’s own. Iori completely froze at the contact, as if he completely forgot what he was supposed to do in that situation. 

Riku soon pulled away and looked at Iori, a blush covering his cheeks. “Have a good day at school today!” He said as he backed away from Iori, whose face had erupted into a deeper red than Riku’s hair. He looked like a mix between horrified and excited. Riku smirked, feeling pleased with himself. “See you later!” He said as he then turned around and left. 

Iori regained his composure somewhat just as Riku left. “Y-you can’t just do that! We were in public!” He yelled after him but got no reply. Iori crouched down by the fence separating the street from the schoolyard, trying to collect himself after everything that had happened that morning. 

After that, Riku ended up walking Iori to school every Wednesday, just like they had agreed to. And every week he would leave Iori with a kiss, always making the younger boy just as flustered as the week before. 

It was mid-June by now, and it was getting warmer and warmer for every day that passed. Iori was sat in the classroom, trying his best to pay attention to his English teacher, but the heat was making it kind of difficult. It was the last class in a long day, and Iori wanted nothing more than to just go home and cool down. Maybe he would actually let Tamaki talk him into buying ice cream on the way home, like he’d been trying to do for the past three weeks. 

Iori turned to look out the window for a split second, and his eyes caught sight of something he had not expected to see. Down by the gates leading into the school there was a person, and not just any person. Iori would recognize that red hair and suntanned skin anywhere. It was Riku. 

Iori hadn’t been expecting to see him today, in fact, he hadn’t expected to see him all week since he was supposed to go on a trip with his family. And yet, there he was. Iori felt his face flush, and so he lay it down to rest on the desk, praying that no one had seen him. 

It worked. Until the teacher thought he was sleeping during her lesson and called out his name for the entire class to hear. Iori flinched and looked up, his face felt hot, meaning the blush was probably far from gone and he cursed his luck. Why did Nanase Riku always tend to have such an effect on him? 

“Iorin?” Tamaki called out as the two were walking home from school a few days later. Iori turned to look at his friend. “What is it?” He asked. “What’s going on between you and Rikkun? He’s been visiting you a lot, and you always get super happy when he comes! And then you’ll turn really red as well.” Tamaki pointed out, making Iori blush again. 

“See! It’s happening again! Do you plan on pursuing a career as a tomato? I bet you’d be totally good at it!” He joked. Iori felt a bit irritated, but he wasn’t actually angry with the other. The things he endured for his friend. “W-well, nothing special is going on between us. I’m sure it’s just your imagination.” He said. 

“Hmm.” Tamaki hummed as he seemed to be deep in thought after hearing Iori’s answer. “Are you dating?” He then asked out of nowhere. Iori was so shocked, that if he had been drinking at the time, he would have surely spat it all out. “W-what are you talking about?! Dating?! Nanase-san and I?” He asked. 

Tamaki nodded and looked at his shorter friend seriously. Iori would have normally denied it but looking at Tamaki’s serious expression made him feel bad about the very thought of lying to him. So, he told him the truth. “We are…” He said quietly. 

What Iori hadn’t expected was for Tamaki to pull him into a bone-crushing hug. “Really? Congratulations! You and Rikkun are really cute together!” He exclaimed. “T-thanks, but Yotsuba-san… I-I can’t… breath…” Iori wheezed out. Tamaki then let go of Iori and smiled down at him apologetically. 

The summer vacation was over, and everyone had returned back to school. Today was another Wednesday, which meant that Iori and Riku were walking to school together. Just like all the other times when they walked together, the walk seemed to be way too short for their liking, and soon they could see Iori’s high school in the distance. 

They reached the gate, and instead of turning around to head inside like he usually did, Iori kept his grip on Riku’s hand and called out to him. “Nanase-san?” He said. Riku looked up at him with big eyes. “Hm?” He questioned. 

Iori smiled softly at the slightly shorter boy in front of him as he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on the redhead’s lips. Riku just stood there, frozen while Iori kissed him, unable to find it in him to respond. Iori pulled away sooner than he would have liked and leaned in to whisper in Riku’s ear. “Thank you for walking me to school. Have a good day, Riku.” Before he turned around and practically ran into the school. 

Riku’s face was flushed brighter than it had ever been before. Normally, he’d be the one who embarrassed Iori, but it seemed the other had finally learned to do the same to Riku. “Iori! You can’t just leave after that!” Riku called out after the other in both embarrassment and delight at both being kissed and having been called by his first name for the first time. 

“Payback!” Was all Iori yelled in reply before Riku saw him disappear into the school building. Riku turned to walk away, a big smile on his lips the entire walk home. 

The day for Iori to graduate had finally come. Neither Riku nor Iori could believe just how fast the past year had gone by. They had both initially thought it would pass much slower, them not being able to be around each other all that much being a big contributor to that. Turns out the moments when they had been together had made the year go by much faster than they had expected it to. 

This time, however, their roles were reversed. Riku was the one stuck in the sea of people, looking furiously for his boyfriend. Soon, he was able to spot Tamaki, since he was so tall, and assumed Iori might be around there. He was right, once he got closer to Tamaki, Riku could finally see the one he’d been looking for. “Iori!” He called out cheerfully. 

Iori turned around at the sound of the familiar voice and smiled brightly. Riku almost started crying at the sight of his boyfriend, his heart full of pride and love for this man that had become such a vital part of his life in such a short amount of time. They both walked up to each other, and the moment they were within reach they threw their arms around each other and embraced. “Congratulations on your graduation, I’m so proud of you!” Riku exclaimed. 

Iori pulled away and looked at Riku's face, smiling fondly and wiping away the tears that threatened to spill from the other’s eyes any second now. “Thank you, Riku.” He said happily. 

Riku’s face erupted into a bright smile. “You said it again! I love it when you say my name like that!” Riku exclaimed. After that first time Iori had gone back to calling him Nanase-san, however, he would from time to time refer to him as just ‘Riku’, which made the redhead unbelievably happy. He knew Iori didn’t usually refer to people like that, so it made him feel special. 

The two looked at each other with matching smiles and blushes, then Riku took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he was planning to say next. “I love you, Iori.” He said quietly, so much so that if Iori had been any further away from him, he might not have heard it. But now he did, and his entire face turned into a deep scarlet, however, for once he didn’t mind it. Why would he? He had everything he could ever wish for in the world, and that was Nanase Riku. 

So, without further ado, he pulled the boy who was undoubtedly the love of his life into a passionate kiss, not caring at all about the people that could be watching them. Riku gladly returned the kiss, wrapping his arms securely around Iori’s neck. 

Iori soon pulled away, but stayed close, locking eyes with his boyfriend before giving him a proper reply. “I love you too, Riku.”


	2. University

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with the second chapter of this story! This chapter is basically about their years in university together! Also, a little heads up that there's a short part in this story which features them making out and has impled sexual content, I will be putting a warning before it starts and let you know once it finishes for those who might be uncomfortable with that sort of content! Once again I would like to thank @xNanaLan on twitter for helping me coming up with the ideas for this story! With that said, pleas enjoy this!   
> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can do so either on my Tumblr: efagerhag.tumblr.com or on my Twitter: @EFagerhag

It was a nice and calm day, it wasn’t too warm nor too cold, the sun was shining and there was a light breeze in the air. Iori and Riku were hanging out together at Iori’s home, neither had anything else to do that day, and so they were just taking it easy, enjoying each other’s company.

The two of them were sat on the sofa in Iori’s room watching a movie together. Riku was curled up against Iori’s side and Iori in turn had put his arm around Riku’s shoulders, pulling him closer and tracing patterns on the older boy’s arm. 

In the beginning of their relationship, they’d both been extremely awkward about doing things like this, neither had dated anyone before, and so they felt a bit insecure about whether they had been moving too fast or too slow. They had since then talked about it, and had grown a lot more comfortable over time, and now they tended to naturally end up in positions much like their current one whenever they were alone. 

It was at that moment that Iori’s phone lit up. Iori reached out with the arm that was not holding Riku close and grabbed it, only to see that he’d gotten an email. He unlocked his phone and checked what it was. “What does it say?” Riku asked, as he had seen that it was an email Iori had received. 

Iori’s face lit up as he read the email, he had expected what it said, but it nonetheless made him very happy to now have confirmation on the matter. “I got accepted.” Was all he said, smiling brightly at Riku. “You got accepted? To university?” Riku questioned excitedly. Iori nodded and pulled the redhead in for a hug. 

Riku laughed and returned the embrace. “That means we’re going to the same school again this year! We can see each other so much more then!” He exclaimed. Iori chuckled and pulled back, placing a quick peck on Riku’s lips as he did so. “That was the plan.” He said. 

Riku and Iori spent the rest of the day in each other’s company, their mood having improved significantly from the news, not that it was bad before though. They were both really happy thinking about the future ahead of them, the future they would share together. 

School had started again, and Iori was still getting used to all the differences between high school and university, however, he was really enjoying it so far. He’d only been studying for about two weeks, but he really felt like he had chosen the right path for himself. (He was studying to become a teacher.) 

He had just finished his last lecture for the day and was packing up his stuff as the rest of the students all left the lecture hall in their own time. When Iori then stood up and started walking towards the door in the front of the room, he saw something he had not expected, or rather someone he hadn't been expecting to see that particular day. 

“Iori!” Riku yelled happily as he waved him over. Iori blushed and looked around, trying to make sure no one saw how flustered he was. He then walked up to the smiling redhead and promptly pushed him out into the hallway. “Nanase-san, what are you doing here?” He asked sternly. 

Riku smiled sheepishly and started fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “Well, my last class ended just a few minutes ago, so I thought I could come pick you up… Do you want to head out and have dinner together?” Riku asked. Iori didn’t fail to notice the slight blush covering Riku’s cheeks and his general nervous body language. Seeing that the other also felt flustered made Iori smile to himself, thinking about how adorable his boyfriend truly was. 

“I don’t mind, but let’s stay away from that place we went to last week, their food was too spicy.” Iori answered. Riku’s features all lit up upon hearing Iori’s answer. “Great! It’s a date!” He exclaimed as he then attached himself onto Iori’s arm, making the younger boy blush harder and look away. Then the two were off. 

“Mm… This is delicious!” Riku exclaimed as he took a big bite out of his lunch. “Nanase-san, don’t speak with your mouth full.” Iori told him. Riku pouted and put his chopsticks down. “If I do, will you stop calling me ‘Nanase-san’ already?” He asked. 

Iori felt his cheeks warm and looked away, the tree on his left was suddenly looking awfully intriguing. “What has that got to do with anything?” He asked. Riku sighed but still gave Iori a smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to push you, I just really like it when you call me ‘Riku’…” The redhead explained with an apologetic look on his face. 

Iori sighed, he knew he was probably being a bit stubborn, but he really wasn’t used to referring to people using their first name, it had always felt strangely intimate when he did. That being said, he didn’t really have an issue with others calling him by his first name, unless it was outright disrespectful or done by someone he didn't like. However, seeing Riku’s disappointed expression, because no matter how much Riku didn’t want to put pressure on Iori, the raven-haired boy could easily read him by now. 

“I’m sorry too, I know I’m taking a long time… I could try and use it more when we’re alone together if you want? Calling you by your first name around others is still a bit…” Iori started explaining shyly. 

Riku’s features lit up upon hearing Iori’s suggestion. “Really? You would really try and do that for me?” He asked excitedly while smiling brightly at Iori, who simply nodded in return. “I’m so happy! Also, I really mean it when I say that you don’t need to push yourself to do it. I know it’s probably putting pressure on you even if that’s not my intention... But just know that I would rather you be comfortable in all of this instead of you being uncomfortable doing something I want.” Riku said. 

Iori smiled and nodded. He then he leaned forward and gestured for Riku to do the same. When they were just inches apart Iori opened his mouth and whispered in Riku’s ear. “Thank you, Riku.” Riku’s face then burst out into a wonderful shade of red and he buried it in his hands, hiding it from the world. Iori chuckled and went back to eating his own food. 

For the next few minutes, Riku mostly watched Iori eating his food in silence, occasionally nibbling on some of his own. Now that they were both sat down he supposed it was actually time for what he had originally been planning to do during their lunch. Riku took a deep breath and braced himself as he looked up at his boyfriend, his expression determined. 

“Iori.” He called out, making Iori look up from his food so that he was now looking straight into Riku’s eyes. “Hm?” He questioned while raising an eyebrow. Riku gulped, hoping it would get rid of some of his nerves, but to no avail. He just had to do it, he’d done enough worrying about the outcome as it was. 

“I’ve been thinking about something recently!” He exclaimed, it wasn’t the best way to start the conversation, but at least he couldn’t back down now. “And what’s that?” Iori asked calmly, he knew that when Riku got too nervous it could cause an attack, and so he made himself smile and appear calm as if to appease the other. Though on the inside, Riku’s nervous behavior made Iori just as nervous. 

“W-well…” Riku started. “I know we’ve only known each other for almost two years, and we’ve only been dating for a little more than one. I also know that you like having your boundaries, but now that we’re both in university, especially since we're in the same university, I was thinking that maybe we could… You know, get an apartment?” Riku then asked, feeling his confidence level drop with every word he said. 

Iori’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened in shock. He was speechless, that was the only way one could describe his current state. Riku didn’t say anything else for now, wanting to give Iori a chance to process his suggestion. Iori soon regained his senses, he blinked a few times and took a deep breath. “As in, you want us to get an apartment? Together? Just the two of us?” He asked. 

Riku gulped nervously and nodded. “Yes, that is what I was thinking… I mean, you don’t have to agree if you’d rather wait! I’ve been thinking of getting my own place for a while now, taking the train every morning gets tiring after a while, after all. I just got this idea that if I’m moving out anyway, I might as well ask you if you wanted to share! Since we both go to the same university and all…” Riku explained further, becoming more and more flustered by the second. 

Iori took another minute to take in Riku’s suggestion. He too had been thinking that maybe he should try and get his own place, and he’d be lying if he said the thought of living together with Riku had never crossed his mind, he just hadn’t thought it would be happening so soon after starting university, it had only been about a month since he started, after all. 

“Well.” Iori started, effectively gaining Riku’s full attention. Iori cleared his throat and looked at Riku shyly from across the table. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind living a bit closer to the school…” Was all Iori said, but Riku understood fully what Iori was implicating with that statement. His eyes lit up and his smile was absolutely blinding as he started laughing and practically jumped Iori from across the table, making the younger boy even more flustered than before. 

Looking for apartments had been an adventure, but in the end Iori and Riku had managed to find a small, two-bedroom apartment that was cheap enough that the two could afford it if they split the rent. It was in a relatively old building and it wasn’t the prettiest they could find either, but they would both have their own space, they would have everything they needed in there, it was close to the university and it was affordable. 

And now, after weeks of planning, packing and cleaning, it was finally time for the two to move in. Riku had gotten there early in the morning and had, with some help from his parents, managed to get all his stuff into the apartment by the time Iori arrived. 

Both of Iori’s parents were busy with work, but he had managed to get Mitsuki to come by and help him move all of his stuff. Riku’s parents had greeted Iori and Mitsuki upon their arrival but had then had to leave in order to get to their respective works, thus leaving the three boys alone to get everything ready. 

Riku headed back up into their apartment, which was on the third floor of a five-story building, in order to start unpacking his things. Meanwhile, Iori and Mitsuki worked together to carry all of Iori’s things up to the third floor so that they too could start unpacking. It took a while but soon they were all finished. 

“Ahh, we’re finally done!” Riku exclaimed as he stretched his arms above his head. He then turned to Iori and Mitsuki and smiled. “Mitsuki-san, thank you so much for all your help today! Will you be staying for dinner?” He asked cheerfully. 

Mitsuki smiled in return. “I’d love to!” He replied happily. “There’s just one problem, Nanase-san.” Iori pointed out before he grabbed Riku’s arm and dragged him into the kitchen, opening the fridge and gesturing to its content. “The fridge is totally empty, we have no food.” He then explained. 

Riku just smiled back at the younger. “Then how about we order take-out? I’m too tired to go shopping now, can’t we do it tomorrow? We’ll write a list and go down together!” He suggested, looking hopefully at Iori. The raven-haired boy just sighed but agreed anyway. “Fine, I do agree that it would probably be better to go take care of the shopping tomorrow after all. Let’s sit down and plan it in the morning, yeah?” He asked. Riku smiled and nodded enthusiastically. 

While Iori and Riku were discussing what to do about their food situation, Mitsuki was watching them with a fond smile on his face. Initially, he had been a bit worried about Iori moving out, but then he remembered that it was his brother they were talking about, and his worries now seemed even more insignificant after having watched Iori and Riku interact. Mitsuki couldn’t be happier for his brother’s sake, seeing as he had someone he loved so dearly in his life, and that this person also loved him back just as much. 

It was a fairly normal Thursday night, the time was currently 8:23 PM and Iori was alone in the apartment he shared with Riku. Earlier that evening he had received a message from his boyfriend, explaining how he would be home late that evening since he had to work on a group project. 

Iori sighed, he had already finished all his schoolwork for the day, and normally he would spend the reminder of the night cuddled up with Riku on the sofa, watching some movie together. However, with Riku gone, he had estimated that he’d be back around 9 PM, Iori was feeling a bit restless. 

Thinking of Riku, Iori realized that the other hadn’t brought anything to eat with him, and he most likely wouldn’t have had any time to pick up some proper food either. Iori frowned at the thought before he realized that he could use this as a way to both make sure Riku would get some proper food that night, and as a way to occupy himself until his boyfriend returned home. He would cook dinner for Riku. 

Iori ventured out into the kitchen and opened the fridge in order to check what he could make. He soon found that they had all the ingredients they needed in order to make Riku’s favorite, omurice. Iori really shouldn’t have expected any different, if it was one thing he had learned from living with Riku, it was that the other boy always made sure they had the ingredients for the simplest omurice at home, in case he suddenly got a craving. 

Iori chuckled thinking about it and then got to work. Iori liked to think he was a pretty good cook, especially compared to Riku. It wasn’t that the other was particularly bad at cooking, he was just rather clumsy, and it tended to make itself evident when he was in the kitchen. Because of this, they would usually either cook together or leave it up to Iori, it was rare that it was only Riku who prepared the food. 

Iori didn’t have any problems whatsoever making the omurice, and once he was finished he set it down on the kitchen table and sat himself down on one of the chairs, waiting for Riku to finally get back home. 

It wasn’t long until Iori heard the door unlock and then open. He promptly stood up and headed out into the entranceway. Sure enough, it was Riku who had returned home. Iori immediately noticed that the other looked really tired, with bags under his eyes and slightly paler skin than usual. “Welcome back.” Iori said softly while smiling gently at Riku. 

Riku put his shoes away and then walked over to Iori, he sighed as he wrapped his arms around the raven-haired man’s waist and buried his face in his shoulder. “Tired?” Iori then asked as he wrapped his own arms around Riku’s shoulders, rubbing his back reassuringly. Riku nodded and Iori chuckled at the way the older boy was acting. 

Riku soon perked up and started sniffing the air. “It smells good?” He asked suspiciously. Iori just laughed at him for a while, making Riku pout and pull away from Iori. “What? Did I say something funny?” He asked, sounding a little bit offended. 

Iori calmed down and smiled softly at him. “No, not at all.” He started. “You’re hungry, right? I made you omurice.” Iori finished. Riku immediately perked up. “You made omurice?” He asked in awe, his eyes big and his smile bright. Iori nodded and gestured to the kitchen. 

Riku smiled even brighter than before and pulled Iori down in order to place a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you so much! You’re the best!” He exclaimed, and then he quickly left to go to the kitchen, Iori watching fondly as he left. 

Iori was sat at his desk, his nose buried in all the books he had to finish before a seminar he had tomorrow. It was a lot later than he would have liked, it was currently 2:48 AM, but there was seemingly no end to his text. He had technically already read it, but he felt like he hadn’t truly understood the text the first time, which is why he now found himself rereading it the night before the seminar. 

Iori was really getting tired, but he wouldn’t allow himself to rest just yet, he needed to be prepared for tomorrow. With that thought in mind, Iori promptly started reading again, hoping he’d be able to finish soon so that he could actually squeeze in a few hours of sleep before morning came. 

Just as he was starting to get into it again, the door to Iori’s room opened, catching Iori’s attention and making him turn to look at the intruder. “Iori? Why are you still awake?” Riku asked calmly as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. 

Iori sighed and turned back to his book. “I could ask you the same thing.” He simply stated, his eyes never leaving the page. Riku walked closer, trying to see what was keeping his boyfriend up so late. “I was just using the bathroom and saw that your light was still on while I was heading back.” He explained. Riku then leaned down to see what book Iori was reading, then frowned upon figuring it out. 

Riku had initially wanted to wait for Iori to continue talking, but when the other stayed silent, he felt the need to say something. “Still doing some reading for the seminar tomorrow? Shouldn’t you focus on getting some rest instead? Besides, didn’t you already finish that book earlier this week? Why are you rereading it?” He asked calmly. 

Iori sighed again, his eyes still scanning the text in front of him as he answered Riku. “I didn’t fully understand it the first time, that's why I’m rereading it. Don’t worry, I’ll go to bed as soon as I finish.” He answered. 

Riku frowned, it was great that Iori was so dedicated to his studies, Riku really liked seeing that side of him after all, but sometimes it got a bit too extreme. Like tonight, for example. Riku figured he had to do something, unless he wanted Iori to collapse from overwork the next day. So, he reached down and forcefully made Iori put down the book. Iori turned to glare at him as a reply. “You’re the one who needs to stop worrying. You’re exhausted, nothing’s going to stick if you just cram it in now anyway. I can see that you’re really stiff, so why don’t you just put the book down and try to relax, it’ll be much better for you.” Riku said kindly. 

Iori frowned and looked away. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m really fine, I’ll feel better if I can just go through the rest of the text once more. There’s only like an hour’s worth of text left anyway.” Iori tried to explain. Riku couldn’t help but think that Iori really could be TOO stubborn sometimes, and usually at the wrong moments too. Then, Riku got and idea and his entire face lit up. 

Riku looked down at Iori, who was still sat at his desk, with a bright smile. “Then how about I read it to you? That way you can rest your eyes a bit and just listen, and besides, maybe it will help you understand if you were to hear the words coming from somebody else?” He suggested. 

Iori’s eyes widened at Riku’s suggestion, but he actually thought it sounded really nice, and so he agreed to it. “I guess that could work.” He said, making Riku nod, still with that blinding smile on his face. “Then go lie down on your bed, I’ll grab the book.” Riku said. Iori nodded and headed over to his bed. 

Riku, who held the book in his hands, sat down on the bed and gestured for Iori to join him. He then pushed the younger boy down so that he was now resting his head on Riku’s lap. Riku started absentmindedly running a hand through Iori’s soft, black hair as he picked up reading from where Iori had left off. 

Riku hadn’t even managed to finish the page before he felt Iori relax and heard his breathing even out. When Riku looked down he noticed that the younger boy had already fallen asleep. Riku smiled to himself as he put the book down on the bedside table, Iori might be a bit irritated with him in the morning, but Riku was ultimately happy that he had gotten the other to relax. 

Riku carefully moved so that Iori’s head no longer rested on his lap, but rather on the pillows. He then pulled the blankets over the still sleeping boy and leaned down to press a light kiss against the other’s forehead. “Good night, Iori.” Riku whispered with a fond smile on his lips before he turned off the lights and headed back into his own bedroom. 

**(Implied sexual content ahead)**

It was a Saturday night, and Iori and Riku had been out eating dinner with some of their friends. Mitsuki had been there, and he had brought two of his closest friends, Iori had also invited Tamaki along, which was a lot of fun for Riku as he hadn’t seen him in a long time. Tamaki had also brought a friend along, someone he had met recently, if Iori could recall corrently they had met through work. 

The evening had been a lot of fun, and Iori and Riku was still sort of experiencing the high from having had so much fun when they stumbled inside the doors to their apartment. Riku laughed as Iori’s foot had gotten caught on the threshold and he had almost fallen over. Iori caught his balance and went over to shut Riku up. 

He grabbed the redhead’s hips and pushed the older boy up against the door they’d just stumbled through. Riku gasped at Iori’s actions, and Iori used this opportunity to slip his tongue into Riku’s mouth. Riku reached up and used both his hands to cup Iori’s face as he melted into the kiss and eagerly responded. Iori felt his face heat up as Riku let a needy moan escape his throat and proceeded by pulling the other boy closer to himself. 

Riku was the first to pull back, and Iori swore he had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. Riku’s cheeks were flushed and he was panting slightly. His eyes sparkled as he looked up at the younger with so much love and desire that Iori couldn’t help himself. He leaned back in, but instead of connecting their lips again, Iori started kissing and biting along Riku’s neck, making the other buck his hips and let out a whine in response. 

Riku soon started tugging on Iori’s hair, making the younger come back up from where he had been sucking and kissing at Riku’s neck and collarbone. Riku then pulled Iori down and connected their lips once more, his hands starting to travel down his boyfriend’s body. Iori reached up and used one hand to cup Riku’s cheek and simultaneously tilt his head back in order to deepen their kiss, while his other arm sneaked around Riku’s waist to pull the other impossibly closer. 

They stayed like that for a while until Riku felt like he couldn’t take it anymore. He pushed Iori off, making the younger boy look at him confusedly, as if he was wondering if he had done something wrong. Riku then smirked and grabbed his hand in order to pull Iori with him away from the entrance way. Iori's eyes widened at first when he saw where they were headed, but he soon gave Riku a light chuckle and an excited smile as he followed Riku into the older boy’s bedroom, closing the door behind them and picking up where they had left off. 

**(End of impled sexual content)**

One thing that had become clear to both Iori and Riku since they had moved in together was that they both felt more comfortable sharing a bed with each other than sleeping alone. They both had their separate issues that sometimes made it hard to sleep, but the other’s presence so close at night was really reassuring. They both had a bed of their own in their respective room, so they could sleep separately if they wanted to, but it hadn’t been long until they spent almost every night with each other. 

They had now lived together for an entire year and it had reached the point where they had even talked of buying a bigger bed and get rid of the two they had now. They both fit in each one of the beds, but they wouldn’t mind having more room. But then again, there were good things about the beds being just a tiny bit too small right now. 

One such reason was that they had to be really close to each other if they wanted to fit, which they both enjoyed. Another reason was that if one of them was restless or couldn’t sleep, the other would notice and then proceed to help them calm down in any way they could, which was always reassuring. 

Tonight was one such night. Iori woke up a little past 3 AM to Riku squirming around in the bed beside him. Iori soon heard a whimper leave the redhead’s mouth and sat up to check on him. Riku’s face was scrunched up and he was sweating, Iori immediately recognized this as him having a nightmare. 

This tended to happen quite a lot, so Iori knew exactly what to do by now. First of all, localize Riku’s inhaler. They were currently in Riku’s room, meaning the older boy probably hadn’t bothered to take it out of the bag that lay on the ground. Iori leaned over to grab it, and sure enough, he found it near the bottom of the bag. 

The second thing to do was to turn on a small lamp, Iori had learned that Riku tended to panic if he woke up to total darkness after a nightmare, and thus it was better to have some sort of light. Though it couldn’t be too intense either, as the contrast could be a bit blinding. 

The third and last thing Iori needed to do before he actually woke Riku up was to make sure that the glass of water Riku always had at his bedside table was full, Riku’s throat did tend to get really dry after he’d had a bad dream, after all. 

Once Iori had done all of these things he started gently shaking Riku’s shoulder while whispering reassuring words to him. About a minute later, Riku’s eyes opened and he quickly sat up, panting hard and with tears running down his cheeks. Iori grabbed the inhaler in one hand and used the other to rub patterns on Riku’s back. He held out the inhaler to Riku, who took it graciously and leaned into Iori’s touch, letting the younger man’s embrace console him. 

Once Iori could see that Riku had calmed down significantly, he took the inhaler from the redhead’s shaking hands and replaced it with the glass of water on the bedside table. Riku drank it all and then put it back down on the table before once again leaning into Iori’s chest. “Thank you.” He whispered, knowing that Iori knew exactly what he was trying to convey with those two words. 

Iori smiled fondly and grabbed Riku’s still slightly shaking hands with the one that he wasn’t using to rub Riku’s back reassuringly. He then leaned in and placed a kiss on Riku’s forehead before he started rocking them back and forth, humming a song in order to help Riku get back to sleep. “What is that song you’re always humming?” Riku asked tiredly. 

Iori smiled but didn’t answer, he just kept humming. Riku must have noticed how Iori always tended to hum the same song every time he wanted to calm Riku down, but he had also never been able to remember which song it was, even though it was awfully familiar. Iori would never tell him anything other than that it was a song that was very important to him. 

Riku had soon fallen back asleep, all thoughts about the song forgotten for now. Iori lay Riku down on the bed and then joined him, draping an arm over his waist and holding him close, keeping him safe from the world. Before closing his eyes and letting sleep take him, Iori leaned forward one more time and whispered in the sleeping Riku’s ear. “It’s the song you were humming in the library the first time I saw you.” 

Iori walked into the apartment, took of his shoes and jacket, left his bag in his room and then he spotted Riku sitting on the sofa, looking dead behind the eyes. “That bad, huh?” He asked as he sat down at the other end of the piece of furniture. Riku slowly turned his head and smiled at Iori. “No, I actually think it went really well, I just can’t seem to let go of all that tension that comes with the final exams.” He said. Iori nodded in understanding. 

Today had been the last day of the final exams for the year for both Iori and Riku, but this meant that they now had a few weeks off in order to recuperate from the past school year before diving right into the new one. Riku had just finished his third year at university, meaning Iori had just finished his second. 

Just then, Iori got an idea. “Riku, do you want to take a bath?” He asked. Riku blinked at him in confusion. “I guess that would be nice? It is really relaxing after all… Are you offering to prepare one for me?” He asked innocently. 

Iori flushed and looked away, while he wouldn’t mind preparing a bath for Riku, it hadn’t exactly been what he had in mind. “I… was thinking that we could take one together… If you want to.” He said, feeling very flustered. It wasn’t like it was the first time the two bathed together, but it didn’t happen very often, since their bathtub wasn’t very big and they had to really squeeze together if they both wanted to fit. Still, they both found it to be a good way to relax. 

Riku’s face erupted into scarlet, not so much from the thought of bathing with Iori, but rather because he hadn’t gotten the implications in Iori’s previous statement. “Oh.” Riku started, making Iori feel even more flustered. Riku then managed to calm down and smiled brightly at Iori. “I’d really like that, yes.” He said. Iori nodded. “Then I’ll go prepare it.” He said before leaving the living room. 

A few minutes later, the bath was ready, and the two boys were undressed. Iori got in first, followed by Riku who made himself comfortable between Iori’s legs, leaning his back against the younger boy’s chest. The moment the settled down, Riku sighed and Iori could clearly see the tension leaving his body. “This feels so nice. Remind me again why we don’t do this more often.” He said. 

Iori chuckled and wrapped his arms securely around Riku’s waist. “Because this tub is so small that it becomes uncomfortable after like twenty minutes.” He said. Riku laughed and leaned his head back so that it was resting on Iori’s shoulder. “Right now it’s heavenly though. The first five minutes in this tiny bathtub with you is the best feeling ever.” He stated, making Iori flush a dark red. 

“You’re right, it’s really nice.” Iori said through his embarrassment. Riku turned his head again a few minutes later, so that he was kind of facing Iori. He reached a hand up and used it to pull Iori’s face closer in order to kiss him. Iori didn’t resist, in fact, he let Riku do whatever he wanted, because he trusted and loved him more than anyone else in this entire world. Iori returned the kiss and tightened his grip on Riku’s waist, trying to convey everything he felt right then and there through his actions. 

Neither of the two had ever felt closer to anyone than they did to each other in that moment. They showed each other all of themselves, their good sides and their bad, and they embraced it all, both figuratively and literally. 

It was a normal Friday evening. Or at least it would have been if it weren’t for the plans Iori had made. He was currently alone in his and Riku’s shared apartment, Riku had a seminar that lasted until 5 PM and had some errands to run after that and wasn’t supposed to be back until around 7 PM that night. Iori had texted him earlier and told him not to buy dinner in town, since he would be cooking for the two of them and have it ready by the time Riku returned. That was everything that Riku knew about that particular Friday night. 

However, Iori had something more planned. It was currently 6:38 PM and Iori had already finished most of the food, he just had something waiting in the oven that needed to be taken out in about five minutes. He had dressed up slightly, but not too much as he didn’t want to alert Riku that tonight would be special. He had also cleaned the apartment and tried to make it a little bit romantic with dimmed lights and lit candles. Once again though, not too much so Riku wouldn’t think too much about it. 

Iori had planned this for months, though to be fair, he had also changed his plans at least twenty times by now. It had been four months since he bought everything he needed for tonight, however, he had been so nervous that he had ended up changing his plans at the last minute and put it off many times before. But he had made up his mind, he would not back down tonight. 

He knew that what he was about to do was huge, that it could potentially change everything, but it could also change almost nothing. He knew what he wanted out of tonight, but he was unsure of what Riku wanted, they had never discussed this before after all. Still, Iori was hopeful that Riku would say yes. 

Iori finished the very last of the preparations and took a deep breath to calm himself down. Even though he was hopeful, this was still extremely nerve-wracking. After all, tonight was the night when he was going to propose to Nanase Riku. 

It was then that Iori heard the door open and a voice call out to him. “Iori, I’m home! Wow, it smells really good, what have you been cooking?” Riku yelled from the entranceway. Iori smiled, his nerves momentarily forgotten at the thought of his partner. “Why don’t you come take a look?” Was all he said as he fiddled with the tiny box he had quickly hid in his pocket. 

Riku came into the room, eyes wide with wonder. “Wow, this is so nice! You didn’t have to go to such lengths, you know?” He said with a smile as he walked over and gave Iori a quick peck before sitting down at the other end of the table. 

“I wanted to.” Iori said. “And welcome back, how did it go?” He then asked as he faced Riku, giving him a smile of his own. “It went great, actually.” Riku answered. The two then proceeded to start dinner, Iori explaining what everything was and Riku looking on in awe. Riku seemed to really like it, which pleased Iori immensely, however, with every bite they took, with every minute that passed, Iori got more and more nervous as the time drew nearer. 

Soon, they had both finished eating. “Ah, that was so delicious! Thank you, Iori!” Riku said happily as he patted his stomach. Iori chuckled and smiled fondly at him. “I’m just glad you liked it.” He said. Riku perked up and gave Iori a determined look. “Of course I did! I always love it when you cook for me, your food is the best I’ve ever eaten, I swear!” He exclaimed. 

Iori took a deep breath, he saw an opportunity in what Riku said and decided to take it. His heart was beating hard and fast, his hands felt clammy and he was sure he must already be sporting a pretty impressive blush. Still, he needed to do this. “How would you like me to cook for you forever?” He asked seriously, not a hint of a joke in the look he gave Riku or the tone of his voice. 

Riku sucked in a breath, he hadn’t expected Iori to turn so serious all of a sudden. Riku’s heart sped up and he suddenly felt really nervous for some reason, he felt like something big was coming, but he wasn’t sure what. He decided that maybe he should actually give Iori an answer. “I would really like that.” He said, a gentle smile on his lips. 

Iori smiled hearing Riku’s answer, he then stood up and walked over so that he was now stood in front of the chair Riku was sat on. “Good.” Iori stated before he looked Riku in the eyes reached his hand into his pocket and gripped the box hard, as if it was a lifeline, and then knelt on one knee in front of the love of his life. 

Riku’s eyes widened and for a moment he even forgot how to breath. _‘Is this happening? Is Iori doing what I think he’s doing?’_ repeated itself in Riku’s mind. Iori gulped and then finally pulled out the tiny box dressed in maroon velvet. He opened it and revealed two thin and simple silver rings, nothing too glamorous since Iori felt like that wouldn’t have fit either of them. Then, it was time for Iori to ask the question he had been meaning to ask Riku for months. 

“Nanase Riku, meeting you has been the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I used to believe that I didn’t need the company of others in my life, you proved me wrong. You’re not just someone I like to be around, someone I want to be with, you became someone I need to have by my side in order for me to feel alive. I love you so much, everything about you, even if it’s something you don’t like yourself. You’re my everything, and that is why I’m asking you this now. Riku, will you marry me?” 

Riku stared at Iori and then his face erupted into the brightest of smiles Iori had ever seen. Tears started running down Riku’s cheeks and he laughed as he wiped them away furiously. Then he nodded. “Y-yes, of course I will. Iori, you i-idiot.” He soon managed to get out between sobs. 

Iori smiled back and stood up, now pulling Riku into his embrace, which Riku returned by wrapping his own arms around Iori’s neck. “I love you, Iori. I love you so much!” He said against the fabric of Iori’s shirt. The younger boy smiled and kissed the top of Riku’s head as he tried to calm his crying partner down. Though in the end, it had the opposite effect and just made Iori cry too. 

The two sank onto the floor, still crying and holding onto each other. Iori picked up the box with the rings, which he had accidentally dropped when he went to hug Riku. He took Riku’s shaking left hand in his own, which was also shaking slightly. He then looked up at Riku, asking for permission to slip the small silver ring onto his finger. Riku smiled and nodded, and so Iori proceeded. 

Riku then grabbed the box, took out the second ring and repeated the process by putting the second ring on Iori’s left ring finger. The two looked down and admired the sight of their hands wearing the matching set of rings, then they looked up and made eye contact. Iori and Riku smiled at each other before simultaneously leaning in, their lips meeting in the middle. 

They fit perfectly together, as if they were made to be one. They had both completed each other in so many ways, and they were sure that there was not a single person out there who could make them happier than they made each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was that! I hope you liked this and that you'll be looking forward to the third and last installment of this little story! I can't say yet when I'll have the third chapter up, but it hopefully won't be too long from now ^^ Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story! <3


	3. Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!!! FINALLY!!! I know this is up way later than what I've said before, so I apologize for that! But I'm here now with the final chapter of this story, and I hope that you all will like it! I actually finished this about a week ago, but decided that I would wait with posting it until today. You see, today is a very special day, it's one of my best friends' birthday! SHe helped me come up with the ideas for this story, so I thought it would only be appropriate to finish it on her special day! ^^ With that said, Happy Birthday to @xSakurafubuki (on twitter) and I hope that you enjoy this final chapter! <3

If someone is asked whether or not you remember all the quarrels you’ve ever had with your siblings over the years, the answer will most certainly be ‘no’. It’s basically impossible to remember them all. However, there are probably some specific ones that stuck with you, some that, for some reason, were more memorable.

If you asked Izumi Iori which one of all the quarrels that he’d had with his brother he remembered the clearest, he would answer that it was the one where his brother reprimanded him about his way of acting towards other people. That one argument about Iori needing to be nicer to others so that he could make more friends really stuck with Iori, not because Mitsuki was correct, but because in a way, it was this argument that made him meet Nanase Riku. 

Mitsuki’s reprimands may not have helped Iori gain loads of new friends, but it did bring him the one person who truly mattered, the one person Iori felt he needed in his life. Nanase Riku had come into his life quickly and suddenly, and he had almost just as quickly become a vital part of it, a part Iori could no longer live without. And today just so happened to be the day where they ensured their future together. 

Today was Iori and Riku’s wedding day. 

It had been about a year since Iori proposed, and they had started planning it not long after. It had been a lot of work, but they had some great help from their friends and family, even if some people (*cough* Tenn *cough*) had initially been a bit reluctant. The process had involved lots of ups and downs, but in the end, it seemed like everything would turn out just as it should. 

The last few days had probably been the most stressful days in Iori’s entire life, there was just so much that had to be done before the ceremony. There was a lot of food and dessert that needed to be made, then tasted, and then possibly changed. The venue had to be decorated, and they had to plan exactly what and who would go where in the big locale that they had reserved for this very special occasion. 

There was of course a lot more things that needed to be done, including some small mistakes or things that went wrong, which only added to everyone’s stress. There had been a problem with Riku’s suit for the event, so they’d had to get a new one tailored, one of the guests apparently had a pretty severe allergy that no one had been aware of earlier, meaning they had to change the menu, and in some way, a cat had managed to sneak into the venue the day before the wedding, ruining a few of the decorations. 

Despite all of the mishaps, everything that needed to be taken care of was either already finished, or being done right now, which made Iori feel reassured that everything would turn out good in the end. He wanted this day to be perfect after all, he wanted to make it perfect for Riku, to show how much the other meant to him. 

The two boys had done all of the planning together, but it would be an understatement to say that Iori had been way pickier about the details. His perfectionistic side had really shown itself while planning this marriage. Not that Riku minded, he knew it would make Iori feel better in the end, so he just made sure to be there while making all the decisions, while also making sure that Iori didn’t overwork himself. Riku trusted his boyfriend-turned-fiancé/soon-to-be-husband and wasn’t at all worried about the outcome of today. 

Iori was currently getting ready with the help of Mitsuki and Tamaki. They were practically finished, though technically they had been practically finished for about an hour now, however, Iori was too nervous to make the finishing touches. Mitsuki sighed and finally walked up to his brother, like he had been wanting to do for a long time now. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked calmly as he helped Iori tie the bowtie that had previously hung loose around his neck. Iori looked down at his brother and forced a smile onto his lips. “I feel fine.” Was all he said. 

Mitsuki scoffed as he finished tying the knot. “Your hands are trembling and you haven’t stopped staring at your own reflection for the past hour, I can tell that you’re nervous.” He said. Iori sighed and looked away. “Is it really that obvious?” He asked. 

Mitsuki chuckled. “It really is, but don’t worry about it! It’s your wedding day, you’re allowed to be nervous.” He started. “Even I’m feeling a bit nervous…” Mitsuki then added after a few seconds of silence. 

Iori was a bit taken aback after hearing this, why would Mitsuki be nervous too? “Why are you nervous?” He asked skeptically. Mitsuki smiled fondly at Iori before answering. “Well, my baby brother is getting married today, it’s huge! Besides, for a long time, part of me thought that I would never get to experience this day. You were never really fond of the company of others after all.” Mitsuki said. 

Iori frowned. “I wasn’t that bad at interacting with others, was it really that farfetched that I would be getting married some day?” He asked, sounding a bit offended. This time, it was Tamaki who gave him an answer. “Well Iorin, before you met Rikkun you used to deliberately scare people away because you didn’t want to deal with them. So, I really don’t think that what Mikki just said is that weird…” 

Iori just gave his former classmate a deadpan look. “Well, I never asked for your opinion.” He said. Tamaki stood up and looked slightly annoyed as he waved his empty pudding container around. “Hey! I am just as entitled to my opinion as Mikki is!” He exclaimed. Iori opened his mouth and was just about to say something more but was interrupted by Mitsuki trying to calm the two down. 

“Okay, I think that’s enough you two! I was just trying to tell you that I’m really happy for your sake, Iori! I really like Riku and I’m so happy that the two of you found each other. I’ve seen how happy the two of you are around one another, it really just warms my heart.” He said, giving Iori a sincere smile. 

Iori smiled back at his older brother, his previous irritation completely forgotten. “Nii-san…” He said, but before he got a chance to continue, Mitsuki pulled him into a hug. “Just know that you’ll always have my full support.” He said. Iori returned the embrace and took in his brother’s comforting warmth. “Thank you.” He answered. 

Meanwhile, Riku was at a different location, getting help from his older twin brother, Tenn, to get ready. They were almost finished and about to head over to the venue, but Tenn was very stubborn when it came to his precious younger brother. “Okay, I swear this is the last time I ask, but are you really sure you want to do this?” He asked worriedly. 

Riku simply rolled his eyes at his brother’s antics. “For the hundredth time, yes, I’m sure I want to marry Iori! I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything!” He replied. Tenn looked away, a mixture of relief and guilt on his face. “I’m sorry I keep asking, I just want to make sure that you’re really okay with all of this.” He said. 

Riku smiled and reached out to grab Tenn’s hand in his. “I know, and I really appreciate it. Besides, I know that you don’t actually dislike Iori as much as you say you do, you just act like that in front of him to make yourself appear more intimidating.” Riku then said with a slight smirk. 

Tenn frowned. “I will admit that you could have chosen a much worse partner than Izumi Iori, but I will never admit to actually liking him.” He said matter-of-factly. Riku chuckled. “You didn’t deny it though!” He said while grinning brightly. 

Tenn sighed and pulled his hand out of his brother’s grip. “Don’t you think it’s time for us to leave? The guests should arrive at the venue soon and the trip there is about thirty minutes.” He said. Riku smiled knowingly, Tenn had never been that great at changing the subject, and he knew it. However, he didn’t say anything, instead he just nodded and followed his older twin out of the door and to their parents’ car that was waiting for them by the road. 

Riku got loads of compliments from his parents the moment he entered the car, but he barely acknowledged them as he was too nervous thinking about what would soon commence. And with that, the family was off, and the time would soon arrive for their youngest son to marry the youngest son of the Izumi family. 

After arriving at the venue, everything suddenly became much more real. Sure, all of the preparations had managed to really convince them that this was happening, but standing in the very building where you would soon be joined together with the love of your life, it was big. 

Iori took a shaky breath as he looked over himself in the mirror for the thirteenth time since arriving. He couldn’t help it, he just felt like whenever he made the slightest movement, something would get out of place. Mitsuki, of course, just shook his head at the way his brother was acting. 

The guests had started arriving a bit earlier, and it was Iori and Riku’s parents’ job to great them all and to make sure that they all got seated where they should be. The only thing left to do for the two groomsmen now was to wait, and the wait felt long and torturous. 

With nothing much to do, both of the two young men let their minds wander. Iori started thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong, thus working himself up and needing Mitsuki to calm him down. While this was happening, Riku’s breathing was becoming more and more labored from all the nerves. Good thing Tenn was there, or Riku might have gotten a full-blown attack right then and there. 

Normally, Riku would be there to pull Iori’s mind out of the gutter and convince him that everything was going to be fine. Just as normally, Iori would be the one to comfort and calm Riku down whenever his condition started acting up. But now, since they were waiting for the ceremony to start in two different rooms, their respective brothers had to make do. 

In fact, the two hadn’t seen each other for two days, both having been extremely busy with their own preparations. This also contributed to them being a bit impatient, which just made the wait seem longer than it actually was. Iori and Riku had just grown so accustomed to being around one another, that when they were separated for some time, they grew increasingly moody and impatient. They just craved the company of their partner. 

However, the time was drawing closer. All the guests that were supposed to arrive had finally done so, meaning the ceremony would commence in just a couple of minutes. Iori and Riku’s wait would soon be over. In a way, everything they had ever done together had been leading up to this moment, every interaction, every contact they made, every tiny step closer they took. It had all be leading up to this very moment. 

However, they were both also determined not to let it end with this. They would make this day amazing, one of the best in their lives, but they both vowed to make sure that it wouldn’t be the last one. That they’d keep moving forward, keep moving closer, even after this was finished. 

Mitsuki patted Iori’s collar down one last time just before it was time for the younger of the two brothers to enter the venue. Iori took one last deep breath and looked down at Mitsuki, his gaze full of multiple different emotions ranging from nervousness, happiness, determination and hope. Mitsuki smiled and pushed his brother forward. The time had finally come. 

Iori was the first one to walk out into the big room where all the guests were waiting. Never before had he felt so observed, it was like they were all either admiring him, or trying to find a fault in him. Iori thought the feeling would bother him more than it did. Maybe it was the anticipation of what was about to happen that made it all so much better. 

Iori soon reached the very front, which meant that the time had come for Riku to enter the room as well. This was the moment Iori had been waiting for, to finally be able to see the love of his life again. Iori looked at the door in anticipation and swallowed hard as he saw it slowly open. 

Riku had just managed to calm down when he learned it was time for Iori to enter the room, meaning it would be his turn in just about a minute or two. He turned to Tenn and gave him a nervous smile. Tenn in turn smiled reassuringly and took ahold of one of Riku’s hands. 

“Everything is going to be fine, you’re doing great, okay?” He said calmly, making Riku nod in confirmation. “And just know that if anything does go wrong, or if Izumi Iori ever hurts you, you come to me and I’ll break his legs.” Tenn then said seriously. 

Riku chuckled and looked up fondly at his brother. “A few months ago you were willing to kill him, now you’re only going to break his legs? That’s what I call a good development right there.” He said with a smug smile. Tenn just huffed and dragged Riku to his feet, letting him know that it was now his turn. “Good luck.” He whispered as the doors started opening and Riku took the first step out into the big room where everyone was waiting. 

The moment Riku stepped into the room, his eyes found Iori’s. They both simultaneously took in a deep breath once they saw one another, to lost in one another to really do anything else. Riku didn’t even notice that he had walked the rest of the way through the room to where Iori was standing until he felt the other reach out and take his hands in his own. 

The action was simple and innocent, and yet it spoke louder than any word ever could. It said that everything was as it should be, and that it would continue to be okay for as long as they stayed together. It was a promise as much as it was a reassurance, that they would both be there for each other no matter what, always. 

The ceremony commenced, but Iori and Riku weren’t really paying attention, still lost in their own little world. Everything else around them became insignificant, and the only thing they could see was the one who was stood in front of them. They were unable to focus on anything else, that is, until the time had come for them to say the words that would seal their partnership forever. 

So, with a deep breath, they both answered at the same time. 

“I do.” 

The ceremony was over, and everyone had now moved locations. The dinner had passed and everyone who had been meaning to hold a speech had done so. Everything had gone really well, if you asked Iori. Other than the few mishaps with the preparations, he couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. It was especially good right now as he was currently dancing with his now husband. 

The moment Iori and Riku started moving along to the music, it was as if the rest of the world faded away. They were aware of the stares from the guests, but they didn’t mind them, in fact, they completely ignored them in favor of focusing all their attention on each other instead. Riku smiled up at Iori and received a smile just as bright in return. This was where they were supposed to be, together in each other’s arms. 

Right now, in this moment, everything was perfect. Iori got to hold the person he cared about the most in the entire world, and he was being held by that same person in return. They were equals, and they both knew that they would always be there for one another, always support each other, and always love the other unconditionally. 

Iori slowed down for just a second so that he could move his hands from where they had been resting on Riku’s waist to instead cup his face as he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to his husband’s. Riku eagerly responded, wrapping his arms securely around Iori’s neck, successfully pulling all of him closer. Even while kissing, they didn’t break off the dance, still moving in synch with the music. 

They pulled back, but only far enough away to be able to catch their breaths, their foreheads still resting against each other. They smiled at one another, no words were needed in order for Iori and Riku to convey to each other just how much they meant. They loved each other, and a simple glance would assure them of that. 

No one knew what the future would hold, but no matter what, they were both determined to face it together, as one. They had both given their all to the other person and had vowed to cherish it forever, for all of their lives. The lives they would undoubtedly spend together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was that! I finally managed to finish this story! ^^ With that said, I hope that you enjoyed this last chapter, as well as the two that came before! Thank you for reading and supporting me and this story! <3<3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! And thank you to all of you who leaves kudos, comments or who support this fanfic in any way! You are what keeps me going! <3<3<3


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